First Impressions of Finish Kare 1000p
- Thread starter akimel
- Start date
SuperBee364
New member
Accumulator said:
Same here, Accumulator.
I think UPGP and 1000p give a very similar candy shell appearance. While I like UPGP a lot, 1000p gives you the same look, with some of the best environmental protection I've found in an LSP. Loooove how easily it gives up the dirt, too.
As others have mentioned, Bence was the one that turned me on to Finish Kare, and in particular 1000p. It's my very favorite sealant. And coming from someone that is a hard core carnauba fan, that's not an easy thing to admit.
Last fall, I sloppily threw a coat of 1000p on my wife's SUV for winter. Unfortunately, it was a *really* sloppy coat; I over applied it in many areas, and since it was dark during the residue removal, I missed several spots. Well, things got busy over the last year (hence my latest Autopia vacation), and just last week I got to the removal of the 1000p residue. I was shocked and amazed to see it withstand numerous applications of IPA and Hi-Temp's Prep Wash. I finally had to pull out a soft bristled tooth brush (yeah... I know..) to remove the stuff after letting Prep Wash sit on it for several minutes. This stuff has some serious staying power. I have *never* seen an LSP stand up to *any* application of Prep Wash, let alone numerous forceful applications. If it can stand up to Prep Wash (which is designed SPECIFICALLY to remove waxes, sealants, silicone.. pretty much everything) imagine how well it stands up to road salt and regular washing. Prep Wash will normally melt away the thickest wax/sealant globs around any emblems, out of door jams, etc. Not so with the 1000p.
One thing to remember about applying second and subsequent coats of 1000p... apply the following coats as gently as you can. Don't rub. The solvents that keep the 1000p in a semi-solid state in the can will immediately go to work on the previously applied coat, and try and turn it back in to a semi solid state again. So be as gentle as you can possibly be to apply follow up coats. Just a whisper thin coat, applied with no pressure and no rubbing. Just a one direction light pass. No circles. You just want to barely see a visible residue. Think in terms of applying a WOWA sealant like UPGP; just a gentle pass that leaves a thiiiiiiiiin coat behind. I think Bence's advice on waiting as long as you can to apply the second coat is spot on. 1000p gets much, much harder over time. Eventually, even the solvents in the 1000p tin won't touch it (yeah, I tried that to remove old residue. No luck), but on a freshly applied coat, those solvents will definitely mess up your previous coat if you're not very careful.
I do hate the fact that it does get in to cracks, around vinyl decals, emblems, etc. I tape off emblems and such now before applying 1000p. It's just not worth the risk of getting it on trim or emblems (yeah, I've had it stain trim white).
1000p is one of those "gotta have it" detailing products, IMO.
SuperBee364,
First off welcome back. I always like to read your posts, very informative. Plus, being a Dodge SuperBee owner myself, (2007, like your old ride) I like to hear your thoughts on what you think looks good with the 'Bee.
About your 'Bee:
So, you are saying you mask off the flat vinyl decals before using FK1000P and use nothing on them what-so-ever? Did you do this with the Ultimate Paint Guard Plus as well? All waxes/sealants?
I have yet to use anything on my decals but I have heard other Mopar owners with vinyl use 303 or Zaino products without harm.
Maybe Kean can join in and let us know if he uses anything on his Challengers R/T stripes.
My apologizes to akimel for going off track on his post.
Jeff
First off welcome back. I always like to read your posts, very informative. Plus, being a Dodge SuperBee owner myself, (2007, like your old ride) I like to hear your thoughts on what you think looks good with the 'Bee.
About your 'Bee:
So, you are saying you mask off the flat vinyl decals before using FK1000P and use nothing on them what-so-ever? Did you do this with the Ultimate Paint Guard Plus as well? All waxes/sealants?
I have yet to use anything on my decals but I have heard other Mopar owners with vinyl use 303 or Zaino products without harm.
Maybe Kean can join in and let us know if he uses anything on his Challengers R/T stripes.
My apologizes to akimel for going off track on his post.
Jeff
Final update: my wife loves the 1000p look. She has better eyes than I, and she believes that the 1000p gives a glossier, more glass-like look than the Ultima Paint Guard Plus. I think she's right. If she had to choose between 1000p and UPGP, which she also loves, she would probably choose the 1000p. But she, of course, is not the one doing the detailing.
If 1000p provides the kind of durability to which everyone testifies, it will become our winter sealant. But in the spring I will return to Ultima Paint Guard Plus. It simply saves me too much time and effort.
If 1000p provides the kind of durability to which everyone testifies, it will become our winter sealant. But in the spring I will return to Ultima Paint Guard Plus. It simply saves me too much time and effort.
Kean
New member
Hey SuperBee,
Thanks for popping in an adding the additional info regarding Fk1000. I know I will use the tip about the second coat when I apply one more to my wife's car in the next week or so.
Hey Jeff,
Personally, I am currently using Wolfgang Fuzion on my Challenger. ....the entire car including some of the trim, etc. and the hood to fender stripes. Prior to that I had applied Optimum O/S to them until I had a chance to do a full detail. I don't know if the material is the same, but the stripes on my car seem pretty resilient. In fact, I had screwed up when I was buffing when I first took delivery of the car. I wasn't feeling good at the time and was in a rush to finish spot-buffing a couple of areas after using a WSR to remove water spots/stains that were all over (from the hacks that washed it while it was on the lot). To make a long story short, in my haste I only taped off the borders of the stripes. Well, I must have got closer than I thought a couple of times and created a sheen in a couple of spots on the stripes (vs. the matte finish). A couple of months later when I had time to do a full detail, I was able to lightly buff them to a satin-like shine so at least now they have an even finish. ....they came out pretty good actually.
Anyhow, my current LSP is Fuzion but I am sure most non-staining products would be fine for use on these. I'm sure SuperBee could provide better input though considering his experience.
P.S. Sorry for the hijack akimel.
Thanks for popping in an adding the additional info regarding Fk1000. I know I will use the tip about the second coat when I apply one more to my wife's car in the next week or so.
Hey Jeff,
Personally, I am currently using Wolfgang Fuzion on my Challenger. ....the entire car including some of the trim, etc. and the hood to fender stripes. Prior to that I had applied Optimum O/S to them until I had a chance to do a full detail. I don't know if the material is the same, but the stripes on my car seem pretty resilient. In fact, I had screwed up when I was buffing when I first took delivery of the car. I wasn't feeling good at the time and was in a rush to finish spot-buffing a couple of areas after using a WSR to remove water spots/stains that were all over (from the hacks that washed it while it was on the lot). To make a long story short, in my haste I only taped off the borders of the stripes. Well, I must have got closer than I thought a couple of times and created a sheen in a couple of spots on the stripes (vs. the matte finish). A couple of months later when I had time to do a full detail, I was able to lightly buff them to a satin-like shine so at least now they have an even finish. ....they came out pretty good actually.
Anyhow, my current LSP is Fuzion but I am sure most non-staining products would be fine for use on these. I'm sure SuperBee could provide better input though considering his experience.
P.S. Sorry for the hijack akimel.
Accumulator
Well-known member
SuperBee364 said:
That's interesting! As a PrepWash user, I can appreciate what you're saying. That's good to know, I won't worry about using a really potent shampoo mix.
Which is, of course, easier said than done since FK1000P is a "hard" product :think: Getting it deposited uniformly without being too aggressive can be a bit of a challenge.
Yeah, waiting a day between coats wasn't long enough in my case. It'd be pretty hard to exaggerate what a PIA the pseudo-holograms can be, so it's worth being careful about this layering business.
Heh heh, at least you *can* tape. I have soooo many PPF seams all over the Yukon that I simply couldn't do that. One thing that can help a little is to move the applicator "off of" or "away from" the edges of such stuff; this leaves less product deposited at the edge compared to moving the applicator towards, or even along, the edges. Heh heh, the ultimate solution to stuff around emblems is debadging :chuckle:
On trim, I've done OK with a W-O-W-O approach, but you gotta be very careful that you don't leave any residual product in the grain/texture of such materials. Eh, KSG is kinda a better choice for sealing such stuff IMO.
Yeah, I agree...and note that I'm generally a) not a fan of sealants, b) definitely not a fan of products that can be finicky especially when it comes to trim-staining. But oh man, the way FK1000P cleans up and protects is really something. I owe you and Bence a big "thank you!" for convincing me to give it a try.
Accumulator
Well-known member
akimel said:
I too often have my wife help evaluate this stuff :xyxthumbs She sometimes has remarkable abilities to spot stuff, including super-light holograms.
In her version of a perfect world, Accumulatorette would have her Audi Souveraned (by yours truly) every wash :chuckle:
I wonder what you'll think it *needs* come spring. I'll be very inerested to hear how it lasts with only a reasonable number of applications.
SuperBee364
New member
JCturboT said:
Hey Jeff, it's great to see another 'Bee owner here.
I'm still just as thrilled with it now as I've ever been. I'm currently using it to drive 130.5 miles to work 1 to 2 times a week. A 261 mile round trip to work is just a joy in this car. The miles are racking up quickly, but at this point, I really don't care. Never gonna get rid of this car.It's not worth risking getting 1000p on your vinyl decals. If you remove it promptly, you'll probably be ok, but if there's any residue at all left on them, it'll fill in the small cracks, scratches, etc. in the stripes (leaving white marks) on a semi-permanent basis. Same applies with black plastic trim, too. And since our cars have the textured black trim, it gets into the texturing, leaving a white mess. You'll need Prep Wash and a *very* soft bristled toothbrush to get rid of it. Accumulator's tip of applying the product using "away from" strokes is a great idea. I'll try that next time instead of taping off the trim.
On the 'bee, I primarily use carnaubas (in particular, Zymol Vintage), but 1000p goes on for winter protection. After applying the 1000p to the 'bee, I use Vintage on all the decals, black trim, rubber window seals....all the external stuff that 1000p doesn't play nicely with. Even the satellite radio antenna gets Vintage'd. Autopian flame prevention attempt: We're all grown up enough here that mentioning the usage of Zymol Vintage isn't gonna permanently derail this thread into a flame fest, right? Let's stick with the primary subject of using 1000p, what it works on, what it doesn't, techniques for using it, etc. I hesitate to even mention it's use, but since Jeff asked if I left my vinyl stripes bare, I thought I'd risk it. Really, you can use pretty much any trim-safe wax or sealant on the stripes.
As I stocked up on many bottles of Danase Wet Glaze before it went out of production, using DWG beneath 1000p is still my go-to sealant combination for customer cars that see heavy every day use. Using DWG gives you an extra gloss kick that makes 1000p look even better. If you don't have time (or just plain don't want) to polish your car before applying an LSP, laying down some DWG before the 1000p will *almost* give you that freshly polished paint look.
SuperBee364
New member
Accumulator said:That's interesting! As a PrepWash user, I can appreciate what you're saying. That's good to know, I won't worry about using a really potent shampoo mix.
One thing to remember about applying second and subsequent coats of 1000p... apply the following coats as gently as you can. Don't rub...be as gentle as you can possibly be to apply follow up coats. Just a whisper thin coat, applied with no pressure and no rubbing. Just a one direction light pass. No circles...
Leaving the tin of 1000p out in the sun for a while to get it good and warm helps a ton with the application business. It has to get *good* and warm to soften it up much.
The only product I've seen the pseudo-grams with is the Collinites, but yeah, it's a real hassle to get rid of it. With 1000p, it would require some pretty aggressive washing, which I think you and I both try to avoid at all costs.
Accumulator
Well-known member
SuperBee364 said:
Yeah, I shoulda tried that. It crossed my mind (briefly) but I didn't want to risk drying it out and making for troubles down the road (how long is that tin gonna last me?!?).
The only product I've seen the pseudo-grams with is the Collinites, but yeah, it's a real hassle to get rid of it. With 1000p, it would require some pretty aggressive washing, which I think you and I both try to avoid at all costs.
These were pretty light, only visible under very specific lighting conditions, but well...you know how I am about holograms of any type. After a normal wash (to remove anything remotely abrasive) I used both ONR and FK425 with Shamrock MFs, and I was rubbing harder than I'd ever recemmend somebody do (you woulda *died*
). Yeah, the Shamrocks left lint but otherwise all went well. You can't imagine what a job this was...I recharged my SunGun countless times and then spent forever in the sun at just the right time of day (with Accumulatorette's help).Worth it? Maybe for me; it's been almost 15 months since the last application of FK1000P and I've only had to touch up that sideview mirror, one section of the roof rack, and one spot where I had to work on a pair of too-deep-to-fix RIDS (one of which includes a chip to the metal- hey [stuff] happens).
baker
New member
I just put my 3rd coat of finish kare 1000p on my Infiniti, and I found it very easy to remove, although I did moisten the applicater pad. Hoping it will last me through the salt and snow of a maritime winter, although odds are it will see another coat or 2 before its too cold.
SuperBee364 said:Hey Jeff, it's great to see another 'Bee owner here.
It's not worth risking getting 1000p on your vinyl decals. If you remove it promptly, you'll probably be ok, but if there's any residue at all left on them, it'll fill in the small cracks, scratches, etc. in the stripes (leaving white marks) on a semi-permanent basis. Same applies with black plastic trim, too. And since our cars have the textured black trim, it gets into the texturing, leaving a white mess. You'll need Prep Wash and a *very* soft bristled toothbrush to get rid of it. Accumulator's tip of applying the product using "away from" strokes is a great idea. I'll try that next time instead of taping off the trim.
On the 'bee, I primarily use carnaubas (in particular, Zymol Vintage), but 1000p goes on for winter protection. After applying the 1000p to the 'bee, I use Vintage on all the decals, black trim, rubber window seals....all the external stuff that 1000p doesn't play nicely with. Even the satellite radio antenna gets Vintage'd. Autopian flame prevention attempt: We're all grown up enough here that mentioning the usage of Zymol Vintage isn't gonna permanently derail this thread into a flame fest, right? Let's stick with the primary subject of using 1000p, what it works on, what it doesn't, techniques for using it, etc. I hesitate to even mention it's use, but since Jeff asked if I left my vinyl stripes bare, I thought I'd risk it. Really, you can use pretty much any trim-safe wax or sealant on the stripes.
As I stocked up on many bottles of Danase Wet Glaze before it went out of production, using DWG beneath 1000p is still my go-to sealant combination for customer cars that see heavy every day use. Using DWG gives you an extra gloss kick that makes 1000p look even better. If you don't have time (or just plain don't want) to polish your car before applying an LSP, laying down some DWG before the 1000p will *almost* give you that freshly polished paint look.
I love my 'Bee too and it makes a great Family car as the kiddies love when I drop them off at School, their friends think their Dad "Rocks!"
Thanks for the info on the FK1000P. I might pick some up as my Collinite 845 is getting low and use my Wife's Pilot as my "demo" for FK. Where my 'Bee is not going to be driven in the New England Winter (I hope, still looking for a Winter beater) I'll probably stick to Meguiars #26 for it's storage this winter season. I don't wanna risk getting FK1000P permanently embedded in the stripes.
Now I know you stated you waxed over your vinyl stripes with the Vintage...I'm assuming you did the same with the Ultimate Paint Guard Plus too? I'm sure the DW Glaze is also ok for use over the vinyl as well.
Jeff
Rob Tomlin
Lotus Exige S
This has turned into a great thread. Great to see you back SuperBee!
Rob Tomlin
Lotus Exige S
Accumulator: you've used Collinite 845 IW and FK 1000p correct? Do you have any opinions on how these two products compare to each other? Things like ability to shed dirt, protection from the elements, longevity, and looks?
SuperBee364
New member
Thanks, Gents, much appreciated!
Rob, I hate to speak for Accumulator, and I'm sure he's done much more comprehensive comparison work between IW and 1000P, but I've done a bit of that as well.
I like IW a lot. It's ease of application and removal is just wonderful. It also looks very good (I've often thought that the Collinites were under rated in the looks department, but maybe that's just me?). It also has good durability. Good, but not great, at least when it's compared to 1000P. IMO, 1000P is the standard to which other LSP's should be measured regarding durability; two coats of (properly applied) 1000P, and you'll be good for the entire winter in most parts of the country. That might also be said of 476, but probably not for IW.
As for environmental protection and ease of cleaning...again, gotta give the gold medal to 1000p. Yeah, it really is *that* good. I have yet to see a bug hit, bird poop, road salt or road tar that could eat it's way through 1000p. Better yet, 1000p spits the stuff off during the wash. It cleans up *really* easy, with very little kinetic energy needed to dislodge even the nastiest stuff. IW is good in these regards, too, just not to the level of the 1000p. When I first read Bence's gush (and it's very seldom you hear Bence gush about a detailing product) about 1000p, I really thought he was off his Hungarian rocker; no way it could be *that* good. So I bought a tin. I've been eating it on my Corn Flakes ever since. It really is as good as he said it is.
All this gushing aside, it certainly is not without it's pitfalls: it can be a PITA to apply and remove, subsequent coats are *not* easily applied, two coats are really needed for maximum results, and it stains the bejesus out of trim, rubber, etc.
IW definitely takes first place in ease of use, both application and residue removal.
Jeff, I never have been a fan of putting sealants on the 'bee's vinyl stripes. I tried it a time or two with a few different sealants, and it gave the stripes too much of a shine. Kinda like a really shiny tire gel on tires. So even when I put a sealant on the 'bee, the stripes get some flavor of trim-safe carnauba. The oils used in carnauba wax make a great conditioner for the semi-porous vinyl stripes, while the carnauba helps to retain those conditioning oils. Keeps the stripes from drying out, cracking, etc. Since I live in the desert south west, keeping the stripes in good shape in the hot blazing sun is a top priority. IMO, that's best done with a wax instead of a sealant.
Rob, I hate to speak for Accumulator, and I'm sure he's done much more comprehensive comparison work between IW and 1000P, but I've done a bit of that as well.
I like IW a lot. It's ease of application and removal is just wonderful. It also looks very good (I've often thought that the Collinites were under rated in the looks department, but maybe that's just me?). It also has good durability. Good, but not great, at least when it's compared to 1000P. IMO, 1000P is the standard to which other LSP's should be measured regarding durability; two coats of (properly applied) 1000P, and you'll be good for the entire winter in most parts of the country. That might also be said of 476, but probably not for IW.
As for environmental protection and ease of cleaning...again, gotta give the gold medal to 1000p. Yeah, it really is *that* good. I have yet to see a bug hit, bird poop, road salt or road tar that could eat it's way through 1000p. Better yet, 1000p spits the stuff off during the wash. It cleans up *really* easy, with very little kinetic energy needed to dislodge even the nastiest stuff. IW is good in these regards, too, just not to the level of the 1000p. When I first read Bence's gush (and it's very seldom you hear Bence gush about a detailing product) about 1000p, I really thought he was off his Hungarian rocker; no way it could be *that* good. So I bought a tin. I've been eating it on my Corn Flakes ever since. It really is as good as he said it is.
All this gushing aside, it certainly is not without it's pitfalls: it can be a PITA to apply and remove, subsequent coats are *not* easily applied, two coats are really needed for maximum results, and it stains the bejesus out of trim, rubber, etc.
IW definitely takes first place in ease of use, both application and residue removal.
Jeff, I never have been a fan of putting sealants on the 'bee's vinyl stripes. I tried it a time or two with a few different sealants, and it gave the stripes too much of a shine. Kinda like a really shiny tire gel on tires. So even when I put a sealant on the 'bee, the stripes get some flavor of trim-safe carnauba. The oils used in carnauba wax make a great conditioner for the semi-porous vinyl stripes, while the carnauba helps to retain those conditioning oils. Keeps the stripes from drying out, cracking, etc. Since I live in the desert south west, keeping the stripes in good shape in the hot blazing sun is a top priority. IMO, that's best done with a wax instead of a sealant.
imported_Bence
New member
Wow, this thread is like from the old days!!! I LOVE IT!
Supe, great to see ya here again!
Supe, great to see ya here again!
Rob Tomlin
Lotus Exige S
SuperBee364 said:Thanks, Gents, much appreciated!
Rob, I hate to speak for Accumulator, and I'm sure he's done much more comprehensive comparison work between IW and 1000P, but I've done a bit of that as well.
I like IW a lot. It's ease of application and removal is just wonderful. It also looks very good (I've often thought that the Collinites were under rated in the looks department, but maybe that's just me?). It also has good durability. Good, but not great, at least when it's compared to 1000P. IMO, 1000P is the standard to which other LSP's should be measured regarding durability; two coats of (properly applied) 1000P, and you'll be good for the entire winter in most parts of the country. That might also be said of 476, but probably not for IW.
As for environmental protection and ease of cleaning...again, gotta give the gold medal to 1000p. Yeah, it really is *that* good. I have yet to see a bug hit, bird poop, road salt or road tar that could eat it's way through 1000p. Better yet, 1000p spits the stuff off during the wash. It cleans up *really* easy, with very little kinetic energy needed to dislodge even the nastiest stuff. IW is good in these regards, too, just not to the level of the 1000p. When I first read Bence's gush (and it's very seldom you hear Bence gush about a detailing product) about 1000p, I really thought he was off his Hungarian rocker; no way it could be *that* good. So I bought a tin. I've been eating it on my Corn Flakes ever since. It really is as good as he said it is.
All this gushing aside, it certainly is not without it's pitfalls: it can be a PITA to apply and remove, subsequent coats are *not* easily applied, two coats are really needed for maximum results, and it stains the bejesus out of trim, rubber, etc.
IW definitely takes first place in ease of use, both application and residue removal.
Thanks Supe, this is exactly what I was looking for! I didn't realize that you had played with 845 IW as well.
I've only been using 845 for about 3 weeks now (I've had it for a long time but had less than optimal results when I first used it on my single stage yellow paint) and I find it to shed dirt very well, seemingly on par with 1000p (but it has been a while since I've used that product so memory may not be perfect).
And I definitely agree with you regarding the appearance. 845 is nice and bright, very glossy and wet. It is an LSP that actually has a pretty distinct/different look to it compared to many other LSP's.
I'm going to detail my father in laws car in a few weeks, so I might put FK 1000p on that and see how it compares in the dirt shedding department down the line.
Rob Tomlin
Lotus Exige S
Bence said:
Same here!
You say that even though he said "When I first read Bence's gush (and it's very seldom you hear Bence gush about a detailing product) about 1000p, I really thought he was off his Hungarian rocker"!?
